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Monday, January 2, 2012

Another One Bites the Dust

Verizon wireless has started 2012 on a not-so-great note. Last Thursday, Verizon announced that, much like Bank of America, they would be charging a $2 convenience fee each month for customers paying either online or over the phone.

And so, the Twitterverse ignited. One particular Verizon user quipped, "Dear Verizon... Why should I pay you a $2 fee to pay my bill? Should I charge you to provide me service?" Customers even took to the company's Facebook to voice their disapproval. Verizon still made no response, instead trying to refocus attention onto a new pet tracking feature.

The explanation for the convenience fee is this: customers who automatically wire their debit or bank accounts every month will not be charged. It is those who are paying online on a one-time basis that are going to be subjected to the fee. This did not placate customers at all. Verizon responded to complaints via their website saying that "the fee will help allow us to continue to support these single bill payment options in these channels and is designed to address costs incurred by us for only those customers who choose to make single bill payments in alternate payment channels (online, mobile, telephone).”

Since then, just like Bank of America eventually did, Verizon has backtracked its $2 convenience fee. What do you think of this trend of company's diving into announcements, and seemingly ignoring customer satisfaction? Let us know!

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